It also allows a team to learn important lessons about playoff football without the danger of having its season ended in one 60-minute session. Keeping that in mind, the 14-2 Patriots saw firsthand that regular seasons don't mean much in January.
Here's a look at just a few of those lessons (we'll go with six and an extra point, just to have some fun).
1. Even crappy teams can win a football game.
What the Seahawks did on Saturday afternoon was nothing short of incredible, but there's no way they're a better team than the Saints. That, however, didn't matter, as the Seahawks simply made more plays than the Saints.
The Patriots were given the reminder that seeds don't matter in the NFL playoffs, and even being defending Super Bowl champs isn't enough to intimidate an opponent. The same can be said about having the best regular-season record.
2. The Jets can make plays in crunch time.
Raise your hand if you had Mark Sanchez making a huge pass, Braylon Edwards making a huger catch along the sidelines and Nick Folk making the hugest play of them all, a 32-yard field goal to beat the Colts as time expired. Chances are that you have your hands by your side.
While the Jets' showing in Foxboro in December was embarrassing, the team can't be underestimated. If they're able to keep it close Sunday against the Patriots, they have players who can step up and make some plays.
3. It's all about possession.
The Patriots set an NFL record with just 10 turnovers all season, and they posted an incredible plus-27 turnover ratio. Yet, just like their 14-2 record, that means squat when the playoffs come around.
Look no further than Tom Brady's former understudy, Matt Cassel. The Chiefs' quarterback took care of the ball all season, throwing just seven interceptions. He threw three on Sunday. The Chiefs posted the third-best turnover ratio in the AFC at plus-10, yet on Sunday, they were minus-3.
So while the Patriots have reason to feel confident that they'll hold on to the ball, they can't take it as a given. One moment of poor focus could decide a game.
4. Homefield advantage can be neutralized.
This isn't to say that it doesn't matter, but playing at home is something that can be neutralized rather quickly. The Ravens jumped out to a 3-0 lead early on in Kansas City, the Packers used a first-quarter touchdown to seize control in Philly and the Jets kept things tight enough in Indy to pull out a last-second victory.
Obviously, playing at home guarantees nothing, even if your starting quarterback has a rather insane winning streak that dates back to 2006. If the Patriots somehow forgot this after last year's playoff debacle, then they were given a nice refresher course over the weekend.
5. Passing game can take a backseat to the run game.
Of the four winners over the weekend, only the Packers passed for more than 300 yards. All four winners, however, had fairly big days on the ground. The Jets led the way with 169 rushing yards, while the Seahawks (149), Ravens (142) and Packers (138) had fairly successful showings. In fact, the play of the weekend (and perhaps the whole year) was Marshawn Lynch's unbelievable 67-yard scamper, during which he broke eight tackles and sealed a Seahawks victory.
For the Patriots, that means BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead could prove to be as valuable as Mr. MVP himself, Tom Brady.
6. Kickers matter.
Shayne Graham has been good since joining the Pats, hitting all 12 of his field-goal attempts. He has, however, missed two extra points, opening the door for at least some questions regarding his ability to hit a big-time kick. His 0-for-2 showing in last year's playoffs, when he missed field goals from 35 yards and 28 yards, only adds to the uncertainty.
And unfortunately, the weekend proved how crucial a kicker can be in the playoffs — both good and bad. Nick Folk's game-winner was, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, just the second win-or-lose kick in playoff history. The 26-year-old booted it right through the uprights.
On the other side was David Akers, who looked his worse when he missed a 41-yard field goal on the game's opening drive and a 34-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. It essentially cost the Eagles six points; they lost by five.
Extra point: Timeouts can be crucial.
Nobody is confusing Jim Caldwell with Don Shula, but what the Colts' coach did on Saturday night was inexplicable. He called a timeout with 29 seconds left in the game and the clock running, with the Jets facing second-and-8 from the Colts' 32-yard line. It allowed the Jets to huddle and then run a well-executed pass play that turned the game-winning field goal into a chip shot.
Seemingly determined to maintain his reputation as the worst clock manager of all time, Andy Reid called a timeout after a third-and-goal play from the 2 came up short. They came out of the timeout and scored on a QB sneak — a play that apparently couldn't have been called without 90 seconds to think it over. The Eagles probably could have used that timeout on the ensuing drive, when the Packers bled more than 2 minutes off the clock.
Of course, Belichick is slightly better at his job than Caldwell and Reid, so don't expect any similar gaffes this weekend. Still, the odd timeouts were just further proof that anything can happen in the NFL playoffs, and even the smallest decisions can turn out to be game-changers.
